Promising Indian wrestler Deepak Punia has found a place in the Forbes’ prestigious India ‘30 under 30’ list.
The 21-year-old freestyle wrestler has been a consistent performer in international arena during the last one year.
The reigning World Junior Championships gold medallist in the 83 kg freestyle category, Deepak has already booked a berth for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He last year became the first Indian in 18 years to win a Junior World Championship with his title triumph in Tallinn.
He capped the Junior World Championships gold with a bronze at the UWW Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, where seasoned pro Bajrang Punia too had to settle for the third position of the podium. Both the wrestlers from Haryana, currently training in Russia, will be strong contenders at the Asian Wrestling Championships, starting in New Delhi next week.
Deepak, placed second in the UWW 86 kg rankings, will be representing India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He will compete with the likes of Hasan Yazdani and Stefan Reichmuth in the 86kg weight category. He is ranked No.2 in the 86kg world rankings (Freestlye).
Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary is the only other sportsperson in the elite list of the rising Indians. The 17-year-old shooter had grabbed headline for winning two golds at the Asian Games. He also set a world record in 10m air pistol and is now preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Forbes India ‘30 under 30’ is an annual compilation of India’s brightest young stars. The list is completed via a three-fold – online applications, jury recommendations and Forbes India’s own rigorous research. The Forbes India editorial team vets and vetoes its way to pick the final 30.
